Capital City

Capital City was my big project that I made for my Illustration MA at Camberwell. I never seem to be able to leave William Blake alone and this was inspired in particular by his 'Prophetic Books'. In the same way as Blake explored the big issues of his day, eg the American Revolution, I decided to try to tackle the big, ugly mess of our current economic cock-up in a phantasmagorical, pseudo-mythological narrative. This involved reading and trying to understand some books on economics, writing poetry (bring me my flouncy blouse) and figuring out a new aesthetic, less indebted to my previous comicsy-style and more rooted in messy paint, pastels and ink.

I'd like to do a much longer version of Capital City in which I could get to grips with the central themes in greater detail, but at the moment, appropriately, I am skint, so I'm hoping that a broadminded publisher might come to my aid.

I've decided to put up the current twenty-page version on issuu here and below are some work-in-progress shots that give you an idea of the techniques behind the artwork.

You can buy a print copy of Capital City over at my shop.

(Weirdly, I actually know the person pictured in the newspaper here).

Ink and tea are my two favourite liquids.

Me and my print at our final exhibition at Camberwell.

It lives!

I have created a monster, and here it is, on the floor of my living room.

This is my MA project, Capital City, a graphic poem about The City and the financial crisis. It's even more fun than it sounds.

If you want to see more of this kind of madness then come along to our MA Illustration final exhibition at Camberwell College of Arts from Thursday 6th September to Thursday 13th September. Here's the invite and our group website at http://www.camberwellillustration.co.uk/

LOOM DOOM!

ATCHOO! How is it possible that I have another cold?! I seem to get them every few weeks. Grrrmble.


Here is the picture that I produced for our exhibition From the Loom Room. Apparently, our studio at Camberwell College of Arts used to be the loom room, hence the name of our exhibition.


This got me thinking about Karl Marx's Capital which I was reading earlier in the year while attending some really interesting lectures at Goldsmiths, given by John Hutnyk. (I got about halfway through the book and the lectures before I had to drop out due to trying to cram umpteen more books into my head for my research essay).


So, my thoughts returned to Marx's descriptions of the exploitation of men, women and children in the dark satanic mills of industry. Loom Room became Loom Doom and my subject became this demonic mechanical monster, garlanded with the hands and severed digits of his servants.

The original's an A3 combo of black ink on acetate and acrylic paint on watercolour paper. Should you want to hang this cautionary picture on your toddler's nursery wall, then it's yours for £150. Alternatively, I can sell you a high quality digital print on A3 (£25) or A4 (£15). 


Ps. One of the best things about Marx's Capital is his footnotes. Most of them are incredibly bitchy and sarcastic, generally ripping holes in the theories of previous political economists. About the only person he has anything nice to say about is Leonard Horner, who was one of the first factory inspectors. Marx made much use of the info about horrific working conditions recorded in Horner's blue books and wrote of him "His services to the English working class will never be forgotten." Mr Horner appears in the bottom left of my picture.